Improvement in hay-loaders



A. E PRESTON. v

Hay Loader.

Patented Feb. 15, 1870.

neat swat ALMON E. PRESTON, OF BATTLE GREEK, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No. 99,947, dated February 15,1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAY-LOADERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, ALMON E. PRESTON, of Battle Creek, in the county of Galhoun, and State of Michigan, have invented certain Improvements in Hay-Loading Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Nature and Objects of the Invention.

Description of the Accompanying Drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a hay-rack with my invention attached, as it would appear when commencing to raise a quantity of hay.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the same as it would appear with the hay raised to a proper point to be discharged from the fork upon the rack.

General Description.

A is the rack to which is attached my machine. B B are two struts, through which at the upper or outer ends pass the ropes R R, for thepurpose of giving the proper direction to the draught when applied to the ropes for the purpose of loading hay.

O G are parts of a swinging frame formed by said pieces 0 O and the cross-pieces E I E, which frame is pivoted at J on the same center with the'struts B B, and has attached to it the sheaves E E- and I, over which 'run the ropes R R.

D D are ties, so constructed and attached as to render the swinging frame aforesaid and the struts B B capable of being set at any relative angle to each other, or of being brought together so as to occupy nearly the same plane.

E E are sheaves over which run the ropes R R.

I are two sheaves having hearings in the cross-piece.

E I E, the said sheaves, are so placed in the crosspiece E I E as to bring the ropes R R as close together as practicable, in order to attach to them jointly the lifting-fork, which inay be any of the practical horse hay-forks now in use.

J J are the pivots or axles on which the swinging B B to one and the same hub or sleeve, having a' suitable hinge for the struts B B above the hub or sleeve; or they may be constructed double, that is, both the swinging frame E E I E O and the struts B B, have t bearings upon the same pivot by the side of each other.

E F are sheaves, so placed at the end of the rack as to give direction to the draught, as are also'the sheaves G G'and H.

'lhe sheave at H is placed in a movable block that can be readily changed to the opposite side of the rack when it is desired to load from one or the other side of the rack.

The ropes or rope (for it should be endless) are designed to run through the cross-bar at I to av suitable distance, in order that. hay or other material being loaded may be reached at a distance from the direct rear of the rack, either to the right or left. And in the act of lifting hay or other material from the ground by means of power applied to the ropes brought together, or nearly so, at H and G, and extending a suitabledistanoe back to the rear, the ropes B B will run over the several sheaves until the handle of the fork is brought in contact with the cross-piece E I E at I, when the-swinging frame 0 E I E 0 will be raised, and the hay brought to the position shown in fig. 2, when it can be discharged upon the rack by the usual means, and the swinging frame thrown back to posi- 'tion to receive another quantity of hay or other ma I terial.

The tie-pieces D D may be constructed of rods of iron, with'suitable hooks formed upon one of their ends, and loops at the other through which to bolt them fast to the frame 0 E I E O; and to regulate,

the relative angle of the said frame and the struts B B, staples may be placed along the struts B B at different distances from the center or pivot J, in which to hook the said hooks.

The pivots'J J may be so constructed that when the frame G E I E O and the struts B B are detached, they may be swung around parallel with the length of the rack, as may also the bearings for the sheaves E F and G G, or they may be all entirely detached, leaving the rack occupying only ordinary space.

In the act of loading hay or other material with this machine, the horse hay-fork attached to the ropes ER, pendent from the center of the cross-piece E I E, is made fast to the hay, grain, manure, or other material to be loaded.

Horse-power is applied to a continuation of the ropes R R from H G, when, by the action of the ropes upon the frame 0 E I E 0, it is swung up to nearly a perpendicular position, when the contents of the fork are discharged by the ordinary means now in use, andthe said frame swung back to its former position; or, by means of au-anchor-attached to the ropes to take hold on the ground, by driving the team forward 2. In combination with the above-named devices, attached to wagon to be loaded, the same efiect will the sheaves F F, G G, and H, and ropes R R, all be produced. being constructed and arranged substantially as described. ALMON E. PRESTON.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination and arrangement of the pivoted Witnesses: frame 0 I C, pivoted struts B B, and adjusting ties MYRON H. JOY, D D, substantially as set forth. Geo. H. ROWELL. 

